When Dan opened his eyes, it was morning. His head was pounding from the previous day’s exertion, and he was groggy from sleep. He was surprised he’d been able to sleep at all, given what they’d been through. He crept down the stairs so as not to wake the others. Meredith was still awake.
She gave him a thin smile as he walked in. She was sitting in a rocking chair by the living room window, holding Tim’s rifle. Ernie sat by her feet.
“Were you able to get any sleep?” she whispered.
“A little,” Dan admitted.
She parted the shade, allowing a few rays of morning light to creep in. “How about Quinn?”
“Yep. She’s still conked out. I didn’t want to wake her. Thanks for keeping watch, Meredith,” he said.
“There wasn’t much to watch over. It was quiet.” She wiped her face, and he could tell she’d been crying. “I kept staring out the window all night, thinking I’d see John coming down the street. A few times, I swore I did. But when I looked, there was nothing there.”
“I know how hard this is.”
Dan put his hand on her shoulder, and she turned to look at him. “Promise me you’ll be careful, Dan. I can’t go through this again. I can’t stand to lose anyone else.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Meredith stood. She set the gun on the floor and embraced him, and he could feel the wet trickle of tears on his face. He swallowed and let go.
Tim padded downstairs, as if he’d been waiting. He looked like he hadn’t slept much.
“Ready to get a move on?” Tim asked.
Dan nodded. They said goodbye to Meredith and headed for the door.
Dan watched the house recede behind him. In the past week, he’d rarely been apart from the girls, and the idea of leaving made him uneasy. At the same time, he knew he and Tim had the best chance at getting a vehicle and making it back in short order.
He jogged with his pistol drawn. Tim jogged with his blade. Dan had a kitchen knife tucked in his belt, as well, but it hardly made him feel any better. The thought of the horde of creatures they’d seen earlier was unsettling. Weapons alone wouldn’t ward them all off. Their best bet was to stay low and out of sight, in the hopes that they could avoid confrontation.
Endless fields spanned both sides of the road. Overgrown grass sprung from the ground, as if intent on reaching the heavens. The sky was a cloudless blue.
Dan and Tim kept to the road’s edge—close enough that they could hide in the field if they needed to, but far enough not to compromise their safety. Dan had no idea what might be lurking within the fields, and he wasn’t about to risk traversing them. As they jogged, Dan kept an eye on the street.
In another situation, an approaching car might be a welcome sight, but he knew better than to think that now.
“Thanks for coming with me. I hope Meredith and Quinn will be all right,” Dan said.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine. I didn’t feel right letting you go alone. I figured you could use a hand. I might not be a police officer, but I’ll do my best to pitch in.”
Dan nodded. They’d done a good job securing the house, and they shouldn’t be gone long. Meredith and Quinn will be fine, he told himself.
He resumed traveling, trying to cast aside his worry.
Tim matched his pace. They moved in silence for several minutes, keeping a watchful eye on the land around them. After a while, they settled into a rhythm.
“I don’t think I slept more than an hour last night,” Tim confessed.
“Me neither,” Dan said.
“That was awful, what happened to John. I’ve been trying to stay positive. I keep telling myself this is the day we’ll reach help. That we’ll find that helicopter, the military, something…”
“Me too.”
“Do you have any other family, Dan? Or is it just you, Quinn, and Meredith?”
“Just us.”
“That’s too bad. Meredith told me about your wife. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“I tried my best to save her. There was just nothing I could do. She was one of the first people to be infected. I don’t know what’s worse—being killed by one of those things or becoming one of them.”
“I understand. I miss my family, too. Losing people is one of the worst things to deal with.”
They walked in silence for a few minutes. Dan thought of Quinn’s hopeful eyes while he’d read her the Bible, the expression of concern on Meredith’s face when he’d left.
“Losing John just reinforces my reason for being here,” Dan said.
“What reason do you think that is?”
“To protect the ones I have left.”
“That would make a little more sense, wouldn’t it?” Tim smiled grimly.
They rounded another bend, the next stretch of scenery interchangeable with the last. Birds flew overhead, cawing, as if intent on guiding them.
“How far did Meredith say the next house was?” Tim asked.
“It should be close, if I recall correctly.”
“That’s what I thought. I sure hope so. I’m getting a stitch in my side.”
Dan slowed his pace. Because of his former position on the force, he’d stayed in good shape, but he’d neglected to consider the shape of his companion.
“Sorry. Why don’t we slow down a bit?”
Dan reduced his speed to a walk, allowing Tim to catch his wind. They kept a comfortable pace for several minutes. Soon they approached a bend in the road. Dan shielded his face with his hand. As they approached the turn, he glimpsed something other than fields.
“That must be it!” Dan said.
Tim followed his gaze, breathing a sigh of excitement. On the horizon, like an answer to their prayers, was a white farmhouse. Next to it was a garage.
“Come on, Tim, let’s go!” Dan said.